With growing affluence, the number of people owning pets has increased. However, many people buy pets on impulse without realising the many responsibilities that come with it. Once the novelty of owning a pet wears off and the realities of caring for a pet set in, some owners end up abandoning their pets or surrendering them to animal welfare organisations. This has resulted in an increasing number of homeless animals.
Lack of knowledge on pet care is also a common problem amongst pet owners. Some pet owners are unaware of the proper ways of caring for their pets while others let their pets breed indiscriminately as they are not aware of the benefits of sterilization. Yet others allow their pets to be a nuisance.
It is thus important to equip existing pet owners and potential pet owners with the necessary information on caring for a pet. We believe that public education is the long term solution to problems such as pet abandonment and irresponsible behaviour of pet owners. With continual public education efforts, we are confident that we will see a significant improvement in animal welfare standards in Singapore.
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